This site provides practice with creating and exploring tessellations. Choices are provided to use triangles, rectangles, or hexagons. Once a shape is chosen, the corner can be stretched to create a new shape. Click a button and that shape is converted into a tessellation in front of your eyes! Choices are also provided for different colors within the shapes to enable visualization of how the pattern is created.

The learner portion of the site provides a written explanation of tessellations and information on how they are found in the real world. Be sure to visit the instructor link on the website for information on classroom use, links to standards, links to similar resources and to print an exploration questions worksheet.

In the Classroom

Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on tessellations on a projector or interactive whiteboard. It relates well during study of flips, turns, and rotations as well as visual thinking. Introduce this site and then have students complete the exploration questions independently or in small groups. After students become familiar with tessellations, use examples on the site and have students create their own tessellations.

This site provides practice with exploring area and perimeter by either allowing the computer to randomly draw a shape on a grid or by creating a space of your own on the grid. Choices are given to allow for questions about area or perimeter, or for both. To check an answer, simply click on the "check answer" button for immediate feedback. Sessions can be scored, or scoring can be turned off to allow for easier exploration. The learner portion of the site provides a quick explanation of how objects can have similar areas but much different perimeters. The instructor portion provides links to standards, some textbook links, a printable with exploration questions, classroom discussion information, and links to similar resources.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups to complete the exploration questions provided on the site. Have students create their own representations similar to the ones found on the site to be solved by classmates. Create a link on classroom computers to be used as a center. Create a link on your classroom website or blog for students to practice at home.

This site provides many resources for math teachers of all grades and includes lesson plans, articles, classroom and administrator questions and answers, and helpful links - all located under the "helpful tool" tab at the top of the site. Click to find elementary resources, algebra, calculus, and other "basic math." Free webinars are also available within the site. Math Solutions was founded by Marilyn Burns, who is known as one of the foremost experts in elementary math instruction.
Although much of the website is devoted to materials and Professional Development for sale, there are many resources available for free that are extremely helpful for classroom teachers. One such resource is the classroom lessons portion. Lessons are in ready to print PDF format making them easy to review and use for planning. Sample classroom conversations are often included along with samples of student work and suggestions for use in the classroom. This site also sells many resource materials, so links to these materials are included for alternative resources within the lesson. No need to buy, however! Teachers can sign up to receive the free monthly newsletter containing information about new materials on the Math Solutions site.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the free lesson plans; also search for plans in grades higher and lower that can be modified to meet your students' needs. Display student work included with the lesson plans on your interactive whiteboard or projector as conversation starters in your classroom - allow students to discuss other students' work to increase understanding of concepts.

This site provides good practice for higher level geometry skills, such as applying formulas, Pythagorean theorem, and other knowledge to find the area of geometric shapes. The idea of the activity is that the player is a mummy who has been prematurely entombed in a pyramid and must find his way out by solving geometry puzzles and building a path across the voids in the building. No registration is required on the site; however, teachers may create a free account to add student information and save scores. Be sure to check out the Achievements section that provides information on math skills practiced in the game.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector and have a student navigate a demonstration. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Provide this link on your class website for students to access at home. Consider setting up an account to use the site as a formative assessment during geometry units.

This site has been created as a resource for 4th to 8th graders. A list of math concepts is offered with links to resources. Topics include whole numbers, decimals, data, fractions and many more. After choosing a topic such as whole numbers, you are linked to a comprehensive list of topics within that strand. Each topic includes a detailed explanation often including illustrations and examples. This site is virtually an online dictionary of math topics covered in 4th-8th grade.

In the Classroom

Display on the interactive whiteboard or projector when introducing or reviewing content in mathematics. Provide this link on your class website for students to use at home if they get confused on a particular math concept.

Find great math resources on this free site on countless topics. Click each resource to find sites useful on individual computers or projected on a whiteboard screen. Be sure to test out each interactive prior to using with a class, as some require Flash or other programs. Find great games about Numbers and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, and Money. Be aware of the icons next to the resource for the required plug ins to use. click on an activity and then explore the tabs above. Click the "Learner" tab to view information about the topic. Click "Help" for information on how to use the activity. Find resources in the "Instructor" tab. There is a wealth of material here, so be sure to check it out!

In the Classroom

Use these resources for review and to reinforce concepts from class. Create teams of students who complete the activity taking turns on a whiteboard or with individual computers. Use the activity as a lead in to the topic of the day. Ask students what they notice about the activity and the general rules that they notice about the topic. Provide this link on your class website for students to use at home for extra practice, enrichment, or to try some new advanced topics.

Math is Fun when you visit this website that is loaded with games, activities and much more! Math activities are divided into topics such as Algebra, Data, Games, Dictionaries, Worksheets, and more. After choosing a topic there are several choices for appropriate activities within the category. The teachers page has links to many virtual manipulatives, puzzles, speed math and other classroom activities. All activities contain an explanation and solution to the puzzle. Although this site may appear as another "drill and kill" site, is also has a lot of extra features and activities included. If you are a math teacher, this is definitely a site worth taking a look at.

In the Classroom

Use the teacher's page on the interactive whiteboard or projector to demonstrate math concepts such as symmetry, tessellations, and basic algebra concepts. Assign activities and games to students and let them become the expert in one topic. Use the illustrated math dictionary provided on the site as an example and create a class math dictionary of concepts learned. Have students share their new math term on the class wiki. Not comfortable with wikis? Have no wiki worries - check out the TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through. This may also be a site that you want to include on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom.

Solve the puzzle of the Narthex Stone through this game that practices coordinate geometry. A narrated demonstration shows you how to move the jeep along the coordinates to the identified points. The player is then given a point to locate, the key is to find the correct point without bumping into objects located along the way. Both positive and negative coordinates are included. As correct points are located, pieces of the stone are collected. Incorrect responses receive feedback to try again. Also included are lesson objectives and vocabulary included.

In the Classroom

Demonstrate coordinate points on the interactive whiteboard or projector using this game or activity. The jeep is moved by clicking along the correct direction so terms of north, south, east and west can be reviewed. What a fabulous way to connect math and basic geography skills! Take this one step further and use this as an introduction to longitude and latitude and how to plot exact locations on a map using map coordinates.

Shmoop Pre-Algebra offers students an overview of basic operations, basic geometry, fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, probability, and algebra including terms and additional websites. Interactives follow many topic overviews. The easy user interface will make it a favorite for students, though it is text-heavy in places.

In the Classroom

Add the site to your classroom computers' favorites (and a link on your class website) for students to use from home or when they need to review pre-algebra topics. Use the games as a classroom activity on an interactive whiteboard to test student knowledge or to prepare for a test. Use the summaries yourself to help organize your presentation of the content. Students can create accounts on Shmoop to access more features, but the site is very useful even without an account.

Tangrams are a form of old Chinese puzzles that provide the opportunity for developing spatial sense and problem solving skills. Tangram House provides choices of tangram puzzles to solve using the seven basic pieces that form a square. Hints can be turned on for beginning users. Be sure to click on the Help and Settings icon to learn more about how to flip, turn, and rotate the tangram pieces.

In the Classroom

Introduce on your interactive whiteboard or projector when beginning a geometry unit on shapes and vocabulary such as turn, flip and rotation. Challenge students to discuss how shapes are moved to form tangrams. Provide this link on your class website for students to use at home. This site is great for younger gifted students!

Mathwizz.com provides help with many math related topics ranging from arithmetic to decimals to financial math. Interactive calculators allow students to test their own knowledge. Brief lessons or descriptions provide simple explanantions to various concepts.

In the Classroom

Use this site as an informal assessment by having students complete a number of questions and then report their results to you. Many of the tests will require additional paper for solving problems. This activity would work well for individuals or pairs of students in a lab or on laptops, and would also be a great way to have a team competition as students use the site on an interactive whiteboard and try to solve problems.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a nationwide effort led by the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers to establish a common set of educational standards which aligns benchmarks and expectations across state lines. This system builds on what states are already doing by providing an opportunity to share experiences, best practices, and lessons, while maintaining high expectations that insure the quality of education across America to enable our students to maintain a competitive edge in the global economy.

Visit this website to find out exactly what the national K-12 standards are for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science and technology, as well as mathematics, and to find out if your state is one many states (at the time of this review) that have already committed to adopt the Common Core State Standards. Watch videos and the recorded webinar, and read about the key points and rigorous curriculum standards, including the content and skills related to the use of media and technology for critical analysis and production.

In the Classroom

Take a look at exemplars and sample performance tasks and students' writing to consider how you can integrate these ideas into your own planning to prepare students for the growing challenges of today's world. You can also sign up to receive updates via email.
For more information about the Common Core and implementing it in your classes, see TeachersFirst's Common Core: The Fuss Over Non-Fiction, a Q/A article for elementary teachers, and TeachersFirst's resources tagged Common Core for many helpful sites.

XP Math offers a wide variety of math interactives organized by NCTM math strands. There are countless activities on the topics of numbers & operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, and probability. Activities are user friendly and use vibrant graphics. Registration is free, but not required for game play. This site also includes a section detailing how math is used in different professions in addition to worksheets and other helpful resources for teachers and students.

In the Classroom

Have students try these interactives on a math game day. To prepare for standardized testing, have students play one or two games from each strand and then have them describe what kind of problems fall under each strand. Ask students to identify strong and weak strands. Students can practice more of the activities in their weaker strands. Be sure to list this site on your class website so students can access the site both in and out of the classroom.

Basic Mathematics is designed to help students and adults with the basic understanding of mathematics concepts and operations. Instructions follow a sequential logical order and concepts are presented in clear, simple terms. Advertisements can be distracting.

In the Classroom

Assign students topics to teach to classmates. Have students use these sequential instructions as an outline or starting point for how to teach a topic. Students can create multimedia presentations to help their classmates learn. Have your students create an interactive online poster using Lucidpress, reviewed here. Challenge students to create a video and share using a site such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.

Math Play offers a wide variety of fun (and educational) interactives. Most activities are suitable for elementary and middle grades. They are organized by grade level, content, and game type. In addition to being kid-friendly and engaging, kids will enjoy the animation and bright colors. The advertisements are a bit of a distraction.

In the Classroom

A great website for a math game day due to the variety of concepts and levels. Use these activities as an informal assessment by observing students as they engage. Try using an interactive whiteboard to encourage friendly competition when students individual laptops are not available.

Online Math Learning is a huge website with numerous resources including interactive problem generators, a video library, worksheets, and links all organized by grade level and subject level. This site is very well organized, easy to use, and has something for every grade level and nearly every subject/topic area. Advise students to ignore the advertisements.

In the Classroom

Use the interactive section's problem generator to create team competition as students use the site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Check out the videos to reach struggling students or help deepen understanding of concepts. For a project, have students recreate a video using a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here) and share with classmates. Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice.

AngleShapes offers 20 different interactive activities to help explore angles and use a protractor. Activities include exploring opposite angles, adding the total angles in a triangle, finding equivalent angles, finding angle pairs and much mores. In each activity, the geometric shape is placed onto the screen and remains constant. The protractor can be moved around and rotated to explore and measure angles.

In the Classroom

Assign during computer lab to allow students to explore angles and protractors through several different activities. Demonstrate congruent angles, opposite angles, right angles on the interactive whiteboard or projector through the use of the online games. Have students create simple instructional videos using this site to demonstrate a math concept requiring a protractor. Share the videos on a site such as SchoolTube (reviewed here).

This online protractor is designed to help students learn how to use a protractor as well as to support the learning and investigation of angles. The introduction demonstrates how to use a protractor to measure angles. After viewing the introduction, there is a list of activities that are offered. Examples of activities are Show the Angle, Make and Measure, Make the Angle Game and several others. Feedback is provided throughout the activities to demonstrate progress with each activity. The activities are designed for interactive whiteboards and/or computer monitors.

In the Classroom

Demonstrate use of the protractor by showing students the introduction to the website on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Allow students to create and measure their own angles. Be sure to list this site on your class website for students to access in and out of the class.

Is Open House or Back to School Night looming around the corner? This site is a pattern creator that "turns your images into eye-catching designs." Repper will help your students create stunning covers for reports, student writing, or portfolios. Simply create patterns from your own digital photographs by downloading your image into Repper and then pick a section of the photo to duplicate. Students can re-size and drag the viewfinder to pick the most interesting section of your photo. There are endless possibilities for pattern designs from just one photo. Your creation can be downloaded to your computer or shared as a background on your favorite social networking site or class website. Students will love this tool and will most likely find a use for it after school as well.

In the Classroom

This pattern-making tool is useful if teaching digital design or looking for a way to spruce up student presentations. All patterns can be downloaded as a JPG and therefore can be used, manipulated or incorporated with other image making media such as Animoto, iPhoto, iMovie, ThingLink, Photoshop, Flip movies and many more applications. It may also be useful for teaching geometry and making patterns in math class. To find Creative Commons images for student projects (with credit, of course), try Compfight, reviewed here. All imagery created on Repper is available for public access through their website's online gallery. Viewers can also search for patterns in their database by any combination of tags, color, and size.

This interactive and entertaining site offers many opportunities for students to learn and discover a variety of math concepts including higher- level thinking skills. The visuals aide in teaching skills in a real-life way. Topics include equalities and inequalities, patterns relationships and functions, tessellation, Venn diagram, fractal tool, basic addition, estimation, transformations, and several others. Even the youngest of students will be able to do Algebra, follow multi-step directions and more. Instructions for each game are clearly given and students can progress in levels as they complete different stages. All games are research-based and are developed to teach math in fun and engaging ways. Most games also include learning objectives as the game is loading.

In the Classroom

When introducing the concepts of Algebra, display the "Pan Game" on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Challenge students to see if they can solve the problems. After students become comfortable with balancing the pan, introduce the term variables and apply this to what has already been learned through the activity. Reinforce math vocabulary through the use of the activities. After introducing the term "multiple" allow students to try "Sleeboz" to help develop speed with recognition of multiples and to reinforce the definition of multiple. Save this site in your favorites. You may also want to provide this link on your class website for students to use at home.